‘19th Amendment has ensured democracy’

The 19th Amendment to the Constitution has stabilised democracy in this country by creating an independent Constitutional Council and several other independent commissions including the Public Service Commission, Police Commission and the Election Commission, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said.

He was speaking at a ceremony to lay the foundation stone for a seven-storey kachcheri building in Gampola on March 3.

Speaker Jayasuriya said the Gampola district had the largest population in the country next to the Colombo district.

The Katunayake International Airport and the Free Trade Zone were situated in the district which also had many landmark religious and social institutions.

Since the existing three-storey kachcheri building was insufficient to cater to the number of departments and institutions coming under its purview, steps had been taken to build a larger building to house the kachcheri.

The Speaker said today there was a question as to whether provincial councils which were set up as a measure to decentralise power had performed the functions expected of them.

He said provincial councils, local councils and the central government should work in unison with the objective of providing an efficient service to the people. Public servants had a duty serve the people in line with government policies and programmes.

Ministers Vajira Abeywardene and John Amaratunga, State Minister Ajith Mannapperuma and Parliamentarian Pandu Bandaranayake also spoke.

Deputy Minister Edward Gunawardene and Parliamentarian Harshana Rajakaruna were also present on the occasion.